The present invention relates to compositions useful as antimicrobial agents. More particularly, it relates to the enhancement of the activity of specific bis-biguanide antimicrobial compounds by the addition of amine oxides.
Numerous antimicrobial agents and compositions have been described in the literature and these compounds have attained widespread utility, for example, as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical area as well as for cleansing purposes. Such compositions to be useful should demonstrate high activity against a wide range of organisms while exhibiting low toxicity as well as being free from odor, easily handled and chemically stable. When such compositions are effective against bacteria, they are also referred to as antibacterial compositions. Notwithstanding the widespread acceptance of such compositions, there is an ongoing search for more effective antimicrobial agents and compositions and, therefore, there is a need to enhance the antimicrobial activity of known antimicrobial agents by the addition of other compounds.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method of enhancing the antimicrobial effect of compounds having known antimicrobial activity.
Another object of this invention is to provide an antimicrobial composition comprising one or more antimicrobial compounds in combination with a compound which enhances the antimicrobial activity of the antimicrobial compound.
A still further object of this invention is to provide antibacterial compositions effective against both gram positive bacteria and gram negative bacteria.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description.